Tent-shake.



H. O. WELLMAN.

TENT STAKE. APPLICATiONFlLED NOV-18,1913- RENEWED AUG. 9, 1915.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

[7 61/62 71%072 /enr Oldellmm THE COLUMEM PLANOGRAPII 410., WASHINGTON, D. c.

offset to form a head Z), the apex 0 o rr s'r i T @FFTQ.

HENRY O. WELLMAN, OF

SPECIALTY COMPANY, GHUSETTS.

TENT-STAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. Ml, 19116.

Original application filed February 15, 1913, Serial No. 746,392. Divided and this application filed November 18, 1913, Serial No. 801,604. Renewed August 9, 1915.

specification, the same being a division of my application,

Serial No. 7%,392, filed February 15, 1913.

This invention relates to stakes or round pins which are employed for the purpose of securing the outer ends of the guy ropes usually employed to properly hold a wall tent, and the object of the invention is to provide devices of this nature which are not only more durable than wood stakes, but are so constructed that when properly placed in the ground the guys attached thereto will have a center draft that will not pull directly on the prongs of the pin or stake, thereby lessening the tendency to ull the devices out of the ground, and enabling them to resist strain more eifectually than the ordinary tent pins in use.

A further object is to produce a pin that will not injure the finest lawn.

To these ends the invention consists in the stake or pins substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall tent, the guy ropes thereof being connected to my improved pins; Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations, from different points of view, of my improved stake or pin; Fig. 4: is a view illustrating a proper direction of inclination for locating the stake or pin in the ground.

As shown by comparing the several figures of the drawings, the stake or pin, consisting of a single piece of wire, comprises substantially parallel legs or prongs a, which are adapted to be driven into the ground in a manner similar to a croquet wicket. The portion of the wire which connects the legs or prongs a is angular and f the angle being at approximately the center of the head. The head 5, c, is oifset or extends in a lateral direction from the legs or prongs a, so that the guy rope connecting apex 0 will be so ofl'set from the plane of the legs or prongs that the strain of the guy ropes, when the stakes or pins are used as indicated Serial No. 44,610.

in Figs. 1 and 4, will be resisted by the sides of the legs or prongs, the pull of the guy ropes indicated at w being always definitely at the center of the head so that if the pull or strain becomes great enough there will be a tendency to draw the upper ends of the legs or prongs toward each other. In other words, heavy strain will tend upper ends of the legs and by a lever action spread the lower ends of the legs. Preferably the direction in which the head extends from the plane of the legs or prongs is at an angle more obtuse than a right angle, to insure the apex 0 being above the level of the ground when the stake is driven down to its limit. This somewhat obtuse angle also provides for preventing the pulling strain of a guy rope from resulting in lifting the stake out of the ground.

In use, the stakes are driven at the proper angle, such as indicated in Fig. 4:, the driving being usually readily effected by hand pushing. If the ground is very firm or gravelly or frozen, a piece of flat board or similar material may be placed on the angular head 5, c, and a stone or mallet then employed for driving. For these reasons the stake can be driven where it would be impossible to drive a wood stake, and it can be pulled out much more readily than a wood stake.

The metal wire employed, whether round or fiat in cross section, is more durable than wood, and owing to the cheapness with which the wire can be bent to the form illustrated and described, the article can be produced more cheaply than tent pins or stakes made of a good grade of wood. There are many other advantages over the ordinary wood pins or stakes- For instance, for lawn use my improved pins do not leave objectionable holes when removed, and do not tear the grass roots injuriously. The points will slip past stones or rock where wood pins could not be driven or would be liable to have their points broken. As the pins can be driven very close to the ground, even closer than indicated in Fig. 4, there are no objectionable protuberances above the surface of the ground to present obstacles tending to trip persons passing by. The strain of the guy ropes cannot possibly pull the pins out excepting by canting them, and owing to the certainty of the draft being to collapse the exerted ata point central between the tops of the prongs and to one side of the plane of the prongs, resistance to removal is more effective than with wood stakes. largely from the fact that pull is point in front of the pins, while due to a the rear of the portion of the stake projecting above the ground. A further and especial advantage is that if the ground is so soft that a single pin would be liable to be pulled out, or if one that has been driyen' starts to pull out, another pin can be driven With its head crossing the previously driven one to which the guy is attached, so that any particular guy will be held by fouror six prongs instead of only by two.

Although I have illustrated my improved wire, I do not limit Wire employed may pins as made of round myself thereto, as the be of any other suitable shape in cross'section. The apex c is located ata lesser dis tance fromthe plane of the legs than'th'e distance between the legs, as shown by comparing Figs. 2 and 3. This results in the contract the space" pull of the guy tending to between the upper ends of the legs, and results in some tendency to spread the lower Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaoh,--by' addressing Washington, D C.

This is with the' ordinary wood stakes the pull is exerted at ends thereof. Moreover'the shape and proportion shown enables the legs to be set in theground at such angle as shown in Fig; 4, without causingtheapex 0' to be so high above the ground as to present" obstacles to pedestrians. I I

Having described my invention, I claim:

A two pronged metallic tent stake having a head" portion connecting. the prongs and extending'to one'side of the plane of the oron s the head ortion havin a substan- 2D 7 b l.

tially right-angular formation with the.

apexof'the angleat approximately the center, whereby a guy connected 'to'said apex will cause the strain to be'substantially equal the apex of the angleo'f' lesser distance fromthe: plane of the prongs than the distance be on the two prongs, the head being at a tween said prongs, the

plane of the head relatively to the plane of the prongsbeing at an angle more obtuse tha'n"90 degrees. I

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presenceof two witnesses.

HENRY o. WELLMAN'.

l Vitnes's'es':

A. WV. I-IARRIsoN, D. L. CLARK.

the Commissioner of Patents; 

